Tooth Decay In Kids Have Increased Since Provincial Dental Health Plan Termination

Saskatchewan, CANADA — The percentage of children with cavities has been steadily increasing since the termination of the provincial dental health plan more than 15 years ago, a new report shows.

Every five years since 1993, when the dental health plan ceased, Grade 1 students have been screened for signs of tooth decay.

The percentage of students with cavities has increased in each screening, to 27.5 per cent in 2008-09 from 20 per cent in 1993-94.

It’s a warning sign that oral health is a “neglected epidemic,” said Dr. Gerry Uswak, dean of the college of dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan. “People think we’ve conquered it,” he said. “We think we’re doing a wonderful job with people brushing and flossing and (receiving) fluoride, but we’re starting to see that it’s almost like despite our best efforts, certain segments of the population are going up.”

It’s alarming because cavities are “100 per cent preventable,” said Uswak.

“People don’t have to suffer from dental disease if they eat healthy, brush regularly with fluoridated toothpaste, if they have access to fluoridated water, if they seek care in a preventative way, not just when it hurts.”

The Saskatchewan Dental Health Screening Program 2008-09 Report identifies a number of disparities among children in the province. Children from rural, low-income neighbourhood schools, Hutterite schools and schools with no access to community water fluoridation were more likely to have cavities.

The report also shows the province isn’t meeting federal goals set out in the Canadian Oral Health Strategy Guidelines. One of the guidelines is that 50 per cent of six-year-olds won’t have a history of dental decay. Saskatchewan was well below that goal, at 41.5 per cent.

The Saskatoon Health Region was the only health region to meet the guidelines, with 50.8 per cent of Grade 1 students with no history of dental decay.

The Saskatoon Health Region had the highest percentage of students attending schools with access to fluoridated water, at 87.2 per cent. The Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region had the lowest, at 2.8 per cent.

Saskatoon had the lowest rate of students with current cavities, at 12.6 per cent. With the exception of northern Saskatchewan, Regina had the worst, at 24.6 per cent -nearly double Saskatoon’s rate.

There is still much work to do, however. The cavity-free rate for children attending schools in low-income neighbourhoods in Saskatoon is 34.1 per cent, compared to 59.8 per cent of children attending schools not located in a low-income neighbourhood.

The provincial report contains a number of recommendations, including calling for public policy in support of community water fluoridation. It also calls on the provincial government to create the position of a dental health officer to be the guiding voice for oral health in the province.

The Ministry of Health received the report earlier this month and is in the process of formulating a response, said a ministry spokesperson.

There’s a need for more focus on oral health, said the college of dentistry’s Uswak.

“I think what has to happen is oral health has to be recognized as important as any other health condition,” Uswak said. “We need to at least be understanding its importance and working together on it.”

Source: www.thestarphoenix.com